Pimps 'N' Hoes
by NaijaChiqa
Summary: Ryan, Seth, Vegas, Cards, Ladies of the evening.... Alternate ending to 'The Strip.'


I do not own the O.C.  
  
A/N: This is my alternative to the pimp storyline in 'The Strip.' This is going to be just as contrived and predictable but I prefer it. My memory sucks so I don't know the lead ho's name nor her pimp. And no, I didn't think the guy in the trucker hat looked the least bit dangerous... but maybe that's because I think he's HOT. In addition, I know nothing about card games so I'm making it up as I go along.  
  
-----  
  
"You were doing so well earlier in the day, but now you suck," the prostitute said matter-of-factly.  
  
"He must be feeling really confident," Ryan replied, referring to the dangerous looking guy in the trucker hat.  
  
Nicole nodded, understanding him. She reached into her purse and handed him a wad of notes. Ryan counted it before he sat back on his seat.  
  
-  
  
Ryan looked across the table at his only real competition. He'd been playing with him for long enough that he was sure that he could read him like a second grade grammar book. He looked at his cards, cracked a knuckle and smiled - it was time to make his move. He pushed his chips towards the center of the table.  
  
"All in," he said confidently.  
  
His competition didn't look quite as confident. He looked at his cards and then back at the chips. Ryan could tell that he was mentally calculating how much money was at stake. He looked back at his cards and then picked up some chips and threw them onto the pile.  
  
"Call," he said, demanding to see everyone's cards.  
  
Ryan's sighed dejectedly at the big reveal. He looked into Seth's scared eyes and shook his head. On seeing this, Nicole ran to his side.  
  
"What happened?" she asked, her fake breasts heaving visibly. "I thought you had everything under control."  
  
"I guess I underestimated him."  
  
"You think I care? You just lost my money!"  
  
Ryan shrugged, "I'm sorry."  
  
"Darren," she shouted, calling her pimp.  
  
"What?" he asked, irritated that her interruption was keeping him from recruiting a transsexual.  
  
"Tough guy here," she said, gesturing to Ryan, "just lost my money."  
  
"I don't give a fuck about your money as long as he's got mine!"  
  
Ryan shook his head then looked away, "I don't have it."  
  
"What?" Darren shouted. His goons stood behind him as he reached into his pocket. Before he could even pull out the blade, all the men at the card table except Ryan, stood up with guns pointed in his direction.   
  
Ryan looked at the pocketknife, the guns and back at the knife again.  
  
"Sucks to be you," he stated simply.  
  
  
  
  
  
Seth was crouched under a table when he noticed Summer standing and staring at the men.  
  
He grabbed her hand. "What the hell are you doing?" he whispered loudly.  
  
Summer tried to release herself from his grip. "Leave me alone, I don't want to miss anything!"  
  
Seth quickly got up then dragged her down with him.  
  
"Trust me, the view is great from down here."  
  
  
  
Accepting defeat because even an idiot knows when to quit, Darren looked spitefully around the room.   
  
"No, this is not the end of it," he confirmed rather stupidly before he walked out of room.  
  
"Drake!" Ryan shouted when he finally found his breath. The man came from across the table and pulled him into a bear hug.  
  
"Ryan! It's been a while!"  
  
Drake shook the hands of the other men at the table before he and the gang left the room.  
  
As they walked on the Vegas Strip, Seth interrupted the other men's playful conversation.  
  
"O.K? I am the only one confused? What just happened?"  
  
Ryan smiled at Drake. "Where are my manners? Seth and Summer, this is Drake. He and my brother Trey used to be good friends back in the day."  
  
Drake pretended to be hurt. "Used to? That kind of friendship lasts forever."  
  
Ryan laughed, "yes, true... true."  
  
Drake leered at Summer. She sneered at him then grabbed Seth's hand.   
  
Ryan patted Drake's hand. "Dude, show some respect -that's my boy's girlfriend,"  
  
Drake smiled innocently, "hey, I was just looking."  
  
"Well, look elsewhere," Summer told him.  
  
Seth looked at them then shook his head. He didn't look satisfied. "O... K.... ignoring whatever that was," he said, referring to Drake's reaction to Summer. "I still don't understand what went on in there. What happened? And Ryan, why did you pretend like you didn't know him?"  
  
Ryan looked at Seth like he was retarded. "And how exactly would that have worked? The pimp would have caught on."  
  
Seth shook his head vehemently. "No.. no... I mean at first."  
  
"Oh... I was surprised to see him there, but if I acted like I knew him the other guys at the table would have thought I was trying to run a game on them," Drake explained.  
  
"I see."  
  
"Yeah," he smiled fondly at Ryan, "that's why I just let him win - I knew he must have needed the money."  
  
Ryan rolled his eyes. "In your dreams, bro. I won that money fair and square."  
  
"If you say so, little brother. But when I saw him return with those sleaze balls in tow, I knew what we had to do. Who were they by the way?"  
  
They explained everything to him.  
  
Drake guffawed. "Imagine, they were trying to hustle a hustler. How much of their money did you get?"  
  
"$2,000. That reminds me, I believe you have something of mine," Ryan said stretching out his hand. Drake reached into his pocket, took out the wad and gave him his share. Ryan folded them then put it in his pocket.  
  
The older man playfully patted him on his back. "My God, it felt like old times. You guys coming to Reno, Trey and I running games, making money, wow... I miss those days."  
  
Ryan smiled. At this point, Summer and Seth lagged behind them.  
  
"So, how's Trey doing these days?"  
  
"He's doing fine. He's up for parole in a few months."  
  
Drake studied his face. "My goodness, Ryan, you've really grown up. Trey would have been so proud of you today. For a while there, I thought you might have been trying to hustle me, but then you remembered the signal," he said, referring to his first knuckle crack. "What can I say, he would be proud. And you... I hear you landed a sweet gig moonlighting with some rich folk in Newport. Newport of all places. What can I say Ryan? You've done good."  
  
Ryan looked back at Seth who was tickling Summer as they walked behind him.  
  
He looked back at his old friend and shook his head. "No. You heard wrong. This is not a gig." 


End file.
